Coin controlled mechanical animal



eL-WIi I July 30,1957

Filed May 3, 1955 L. E. YETTER com CONTROLLED MECHANICAL ANIMAL 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Lloyd 5. Ye/fer INVENTOR.

July 30, 1957 1.. E. YETTER 2,801,104

com CONTROLLED MECHANICAL ANIMAL Filed May 5, 1955 s Sheets-Sheet 2 60 7 E L! 48 L //070 6'8 Fig.3

Lloyd E. Yerrer INVENTOR.

BY MQ y 1957 L. E. YETTER 2,801,104

COIN CONTROLLED MECHANICAL ANIMAL Filed May 3, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 L/ayd E Yeffer INVENTOR.

BY anyway United States Patent COIN CONTROLLED MECHANICAL ANIMAL Lloyd E. Yetter, Colchester, 111.

Application May 3, 1955, Serial No. 505,661

2 Claims. ((11. 27253.1)

This invention relates in general to new and useful improvements in toys, and more specifically to an improved mechanical pony.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an improved drive unit for a mechanical toy, such as a mechanical pony, the drive unit being relatively compact and of an extremely simple construction, and at the same time, capable of imparting to an animal form a runninglike action.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved drive unit for mechanical ponies, the drive unit including a centrally mounted arm having an intermediate portion thereof anchored for pivotal movement, the arm having connected thereto drive means for efiecting repeated pivoting thereof, the drive means being of a nature whereby the arm is rocked back and forth, and at the same time, has its opposite end moving up and down.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved drive unit for mechanical ponies, the drive unit being extremely compact and including a centrally mounted animal form supporting arm and drive means for imparting motion to the arm, the drive means including a motor and a gear unit mounted on opposite sides of the support for the arm in counterbalancing relation.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved mechanical pony which includes a supporting base having extending upwardly therefrom a standard, the standard having carried at the upper end thereof the drive means. Supported by the drive means for actuation thereby is a hollow animal form which encases the drive means so that the mechanical pony is both pleasing in appearance and life-like in operation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein. like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the mechanical pony which is the subject of this invention and shows the gem eral outline thereof;

Figure 2 is an enlarged elevational view of the drive unit for the mechanical pony ofFigure 1 the drive unit having a portion of a surrounding housing broken away and shown in section;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the drive unit of Figure 2 and shows the relationship of various parts thereof;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken through the mechanical pony of Figure 1 and shows the relationship of the hollow animal form with respect to the drive unit encased therein, a standard supporting the drive unit and a base for the standard;

Figure 5 is an enlarged end elevational view of the drive unit of Figure 2, as viewed from the gear case end thereof, the housing being omitted for purposes of clarity; and

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Figure 6 is a wiring diagram for the mechanical pony.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that there is illustrated in Figures 1 and 4 the mechanical pony which is the subject of this invention, the mechanical pony being referred to in general by the reference numeral 10. The mechanical pony 10 includes a base which is referred to in general by the reference numeral 12. As is best illustrated in Figures 1 and 4 the base 12 includes a frame which is referred to in general by the reference numeral 14. The frame 14 is formed of a pair of longitudinally extending angle members 16 which are connected together by end frame members 18 and 20 and an intermediate frame member 22. Extending upwardly from the longitudinal frame members 16 are side panels 2d. Overlying the frame 14 and closing the space between the side panels 24 is a top and end wall forming panel 26 which is of a generally inverted U-shaped outline.

Carried by the intermediate frame member 22 is a standard 28. The standard 28 is braced relative to the frame 14 by a suitable brace 30.

Rigidly secured to the upper end of the standard 28 is the drive unit which is one of the main features of this invention, the drive unit being referred to in general by the reference numeral 32. Encasing the drive unit 32 and being supported thereby is a hollow animal form 34. The animal form 34 may be of any desired shape, but for purposes of illustration, is in the form of a pony. it is to be understood that the animal form or pony 34 will be provided with all the necessary trappings to bring delight to a child riding the same.

Referring now to Figures 2, 3 and 5 in particular, it will be seen that the drive unit 32 includes a supporting frame in the form of an elongated, generally rectangular plate 36. The plate 36 has secured to the upper surface thereof intermediate its ends a pair of transversely spaced, transversely aligned pillow blocks 38. The pillow blocks 33 have extending therebetween and suitably journaled therein a transversely extending shaft 40. Secured to the shaft 4% intermediate its ends is an upright 42. The upright 42 has rigidly secured to the upper end thereof by suitable fastening means, such as welding 44, a longitudinally extending mounting bar 46. The mounting bar 46 extends longitudinally of the supporting frame 36 and is contoured to fit the upper portion of the animal form 34, as is best illustrated in Figure 4.

In order to impart the desired motion to the bar 46,, there is provided suitable drive means which includes an electric motor 48. The electric motor 48.is mountedat one end of the supporting. frame 36 and includes a mounting frame 50 adjustably secured by means of fasteners 52 to an upright leg 54, of a mounting bracket 56 The mounting bracket 56 includes a horizontal leg 5 8 which overlies one end of the supporting frame 36 and is adjustably secured thereto by suitable fasteners 60.

Disposed at the opposite end ofthe supporting, frame 36 is a gear unit 62. The gear unit 62 is carried. by an inverted U-shaped mounting bracket 64. which has the. lower ends thereof suitably; secured, as by welding,v 66, to- L-shaped mounting members 68; The mounting members 68 are removably secured to the supporting frame 36 by suitable fasteners 70.

As is best illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, the electric motor 48 is disposed in a vertical position with the annature shaft 72 thereof vertically disposed. Carried by the armature shaft 72 is a drive pulley 74 which is in a common horizontal plane with a driven pulley 76. The driven pulley 76 is carried by a vertically disposed input shaft 78 of the gear unit 62 and is connected to the drive pulley 74 by a suitable drive belt 80.

Carried by the gear unit 62 at right angles to the input shaft 78 is an output shaft 82. The output shaft 82 has V releasably carried thereby in eccentrically disposed relation a fastener 84 which functions as a crank pin. Carried by the fastener or crank pin (24 is a lower leg 86 of a Z-shaped crank -rod-.88. The crank rod 88 includes an enlarged'intermediate vportion 9t and an upper leg 92. As is best illustrated in Figures-2 and 5, themounting bar 46 includes an upwardly and forwardlysloping forward portion 94. Secured to the underside of thefor the crank rod 88 will result in the continuous rocking of the mounting bar 46 back and forth about the axis of the shaft 40 with the simultaneous, out-of-phase raising and lowering of the opposite ends of the mounting bar 46 so asto impart to the mounting bar 46 the type of motion which occurs when a horse or pony is galloping.

As is best illustrated in Figure 4, the animal form 34 is hollow and has received therein a major portion of the drive unit 32. Further, the upper portion of the animal form 34 directly overlies the mounting bar 46 and is suitably secured thereto. Thus, any motion imparted to the mountingbar 46 will also be imparted to'the animal form 34. V From the foregoing description of the drive unit 32, .it is readily apparent that the drive unit isnot only extremely simple in construction but also very compact. Further, the parts thereof are so arranged so that they substantially counterbalance each other so as to remove any eccentric loading from the standard 28.

In order to encase the moving parts of the drive unit 32 and to enhance the appearance of the mechanical pony 10, there is provided a housing which is referred to in general by the reference numeral 102. The housing 102 includes side panels 104 which extend upwardly from up posite sides of the supporting frame 36 and are secured thereto by suitable brackets 106. Disposed at the end of the drive unit 32 remote from the electric motor 48 is an end panel 108 which is suitably connected to the side panels 104.

In order that operation of the mechanical pony may be controlled, there is carried by the supporting frame 36 adjacent the shaft 40 a connector block 110. The connector block 110 is provided'with suitable sockets receiving plugs 112 and 114. The plug 112 has connected thereto lead wires 116 for the electric motor 48. The plug 114 has connected thereto lead-in wires 118 from 'a power source.

Interconnecting the sockets receiving the plugs 112 and 114 and connecting the same to a coin control switch 120 are suitable wires 122, 124 and 126. A wire 128 also connects adjacent contacts of the sockets receiving the plugs 112 and 114. 7

Although the switch 120 is not a part of the present invention, it is to be understood that the switch 120 is controlled by a coin and includes a timing device (not 4 I i V shown) for controlling the length of operation of the mechanical pony 10 upon the application of a coin therein,

No further explanation of the details of construction of t the coin actuated switch 120 is believed to be necessary.

As is best illustrated in Figure 1, the coin operated switch 120 is carried by a mounting bar 130 which is sewardly therefrom at one side of the animal form 34 for the convenient reception of a coin.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of 1 the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since nu:

merous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows: 7

1. A mechanical animal comprising a base, a standard extending upwardlyrfrom said base,,a drive unit carried at the upper end of said standard, an animal form carriedby said drive unit and operated thereby, said animal form being hollow and including said drive unit, said .drive unit including a supporting frame, an upright pivotally connected at its lower end to said supporting frame,

j by said drive unit and operated thereby, said animal form 7 an' elongated mounting bar extending longitudinally of said supporting frame in overlying relation relative thereto, said bar being secured to the upper end of said upright, drive means connected to said bar for effecting repeated pivoting of said bar and said upright, said animal form being secured to said bar.

2. A mechanical animal comprising a base, a standard extending upwardly from said base, a drive unit carried at the upper end of said standard, an animal'form carried being hollow and including said drive unit, said drive unit including a supporting frame, an upright pivotally connected at its lower end to said supporting frame, an elongated mounting bar extending longitudinally ofsaid supporting frame in overlying relation relative thereto, said bar being secured to the upper end of said upright, dn've means connected to said bar for effecting repeated pivoting of said bar and said upright, said animal form being 7 secured to said bar, said drive means including an electric motor, a coin operated switch mechanism carried by said supporting frame and connected to said electric motor, said switch being disposed externally of said animal form.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS .mWmm 

